


Au Means Gold!

by KirbyPaint



Series: Eldrigar: Definitely AU [1]
Category: Pathfinder (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-05
Updated: 2015-11-05
Packaged: 2018-04-30 03:59:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5149469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirbyPaint/pseuds/KirbyPaint
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The first in a fun series where I take our Eldrigar characters and put them into a modern setting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Au Means Gold!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay this is literally not edited and sry about the tense change, I was tired.

Yuki finished her tenth rep of curls, setting the fifty-pound weights back on their holders. She spun around, admiring her bulging biceps as she flexed, and with a satisfied grin she left the gym for the locker room. After changing and trading some workout jokes with some of the other women, she checked her phone. 11:48 – right on schedule. She pulled her wallet from her backpack and walked into the next-door health food store.

 

“Hey, muscles,” the cashier winked.

 

“Hey… hair…” Yuki responded, subtly flexing her arms. _Thank the spirits for tank tops!_

 

“So, same as usual?” the cashier said, already turning around to prepare Yuki’s usual drink.

 

“Yeah, and uh, while you’re at it, you should make yourself one. I mean,” she blushed, “you’re always so nice to me, and you always compliment my awesome muscles, so… I should re-pay you. At… your work…”

 

Vanessa blushed as well – awkward Yuki was cutest Yuki, in her opinion – but she made the drink anyway, and after a quick conversation with her boss Mr. Brom, she took her break half an hour early.

 

The two sat sipping their drinks as they chatted idly (and Vanessa got to touch Yuki’s muscles more than once), and once Vanessa’s break was over and Yuki discovered she was now fifteen minutes late, she quickly hugged Vanessa goodbye and promised to be back, same time next work-out day.

 

* * *

 

 

“I’m here, I’m here,” she called out, jogging up to the group’s meeting place.

 

“And only twenty minutes late,” Tenna responded, “that’s a new record. Cashier date go well, I take it?”

 

“Yes – wait, no, it wasn’t a date, I’m not into her – girls! I’m not gay, Tenna, and just because _you_ are doesn’t mean everyone else _is_!”

 

“Hell yeah I’m gay, and I saw you buy her a drink. Gaaaaay.”

 

“How are you gay and dating my brother? Huh?”

 

“Oh, he’s special,” she said while pulling him close and kissing his cheek. His normally blank demeanor brightened ever-so-slightly at that, but then he went right back to his book.

 

By this point Yuki had been reduced to a sputtering mess and Tenna had joined her boyfriend sitting on the bench. Morri and Julian were looking over their CMN 230 homework, discussing the merits to strong relationships within friend groups. Yuki stood in the fountain to cool off (even in a tank top September was still nearly unbearable) and unfortunately her now-soaking shirt garnered some unpleasant wolf-whistles.

 

Ryota sighed and groaned from behind his book, “Yuki, don’t go after them, it’s not worth Mom’s wrath.”

 

“They’re disrespecting my honor,” she muttered, already removing her valuables from her person.

 

“No, Yuki, don’t go,” Tenna muttered, secretly hoping she would.

 

“Don’t tell me what not to do, kid,” she responded, as she started storming through the fountain. A firm grip caught her forearm, and she whirled around to see Julian’s stern face glaring down at her.

 

“You’re still on probation, and those guys look underage. Do you want to go to jail?”

 

“My honor-”

 

“You are not Prince Zuko, and your honor won’t mean anything behind bars. Please, just take a deep breath, and a moment to think.”

 

Yuki inhaled, cursing Julian’s impeccable way with words. She knew he was right, yet she still itched to defend herself.

 

“You know,” Morri spoke up after Yuki’d clearly cooled off, “if you want to make yourself heard, there’s a poetry night I like to go to. Listening is nice, but tonight’s open mic night, and you can pretty much say whatever you want, as long as it’s less than five minutes.”

 

“Does it have to rhyme?”

 

“Nope,” Julian responded, “you can submit yours as spoken-word poetry, and the only requirement is that it comes from the heart.”

 

Yuki put her hand to her chin in thought. _Maybe that would be nice_.

 

“If it gets me out of trouble, then sure. What time does it start?”

 

Morri checked her planner. “5:45, at Evelynn’s. It’s a club downtown, but you don’t have to be 21 to enter. She accepts souls of all ages.”

 

“I’m down!” Yuki cheered. “Except, wait, my mom wanted me home early to help my dad with the wiring and stuff.”

 

“Gay,” Tenna whispered to Ryota who only smirked in response.

 

“Is she available right now? Can you call her?” Morri didn’t ever really think Yuki would actually go for poetry night. The two had little in common, but Morri was fond of Yuki’s company, so having this in common would only benefit their interpersonal relationship.

 

And perhaps saying things like _that_ would not.

 

“Ugh, I guess, but she hates when I cancel her plans.”

 

Yuki speed-dialed her mother – #3 – and waited for the line to connect.

 

“ _Hello?_ ”

 

“Hey, Mom, it’s me”

 

“ _Yuki?_ ”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“ _What are you calling for, dear?_ ”

 

“Oh, nothing, just I wanted to let you know there was this poetry thing me and Ryota-” he simply nodded in affirmation, “and everyone was gonna go to, except it’s later and I know I said I was gonna help Dad but he knows what he’s doing.”

 

“ _I only ask you to help out every once in a while, why do you have to cancel? Can’t you go next week?_ ”

 

Yuki *ugh-ed*, taking care to mute herself so her mom couldn’t hear. “I want to go tonight, I only found out about it a few minutes ago because Morri told me about it, you know, my smart friend? Are smart hobbies not allowed now?”

 

“ _I never said they weren’t, I just don’t like having to re-arrange my life like this._ ”

 

“It’s one night!”

 

“ _And now it needs to be re-arranged! Whatever, you have your fun, I’ll let your father know not to dismantle anything tonight. I love you, and tell Ryu that too._ ”

 

“Okay, love you too, bye!” She snapped the phone shut, then grinned at her friends. “Okay, night is officially free, let’s go!”

 

She got about ten feet away before realizing no one had stood up to follow. “Hello? Poetry?”

 

“It’s not even one yet,” Julian gently reminded her, “we’ve still got time to kill.”

 

“Oh yeah,” she huffed. “Oh, and Mom says she loves you,” she continued, looking toward Ryota.

 

He didn’t so much as glance up to acknowledge her as he turned to the next page in his book.

 

“Can’t ignore me forever, brother,” she said, as she sat on the side of the bench Tenna was not occupying.

 

“I’m not, I’m just reading,” he practically whispered.

 

“Yeah, he’s reading,” Tenna affirmed, gently playing with his hair. “He can tone you out so easily. What I’d give to have that power.”

 

“ _Why do you mock me so??_ ”

 

* * *

 

 

“Hello everyone, I’m Evelynn, and welcome to my store. I see we have some newcomers in the audience – magnificent. I remind you all that to keep this a free space for you, we are being sponsored by Our Goddess’ Covenant, and my husband, Balthazar, asked me to ask you all to please stop by their booth after the events and pick up a flyer.”

 

The crowd looked around to spot the booth, and Yuki was surprised to see the booth was headed by nuns. _Huh._ She frowned, hoping they wouldn’t hear something offensive.

 

Morri picked up on Yuki’s unease. “Those ladies are the least conservative of their organization,” she whispered. “There’s nothing you could say that would shock them. I asked them once, what the craziest thing they heard was.”

 

“And?”

 

Morri’s eyes widened as she turned beet red and sat rigidly back in her seat. “I-I don’t want to say.”

 

Yuki chuckled, forgetting that she was talking to a sixteen-year-old. “I won’t make you say anything you don’t want to.”

 

“I’ll say it if you want me to,” she insisted, looking every bit the part of someone who, in fact, did not want to say it.

 

“No, no, don’t explode, seriously.” She grabbed Morri in a side-hug and tried to loosen up the poor girl. It seemed to work at least a little, but Morri didn’t truly relax until the lights dimmed and the first person walked on stage.

 

As the people presented their poems, Yuki could definitely see how poetry might help one get their feelings out, but if you asked her, she’d probably still choose a nice physical workout over an emotional one.

 

She’d been half-zoning until a familiar face walked on stage. _The girl from the drink shop_ … At the sight of her previous conversation buddy, she wanted to jump up and wave, but instead chose to tightly grip her seatmates’ arms, causing Ryota and Morri to whisper their respective pained noises. Yuki excitedly whispered that that was the girl she talked to earlier, causing Tenna to break out into a huge smirk, and then she sat quietly to hear the actual poem.

 

“Hi, I’m Vanessa, and tonight, instead of reading from a book, I’m reading something I wrote. It’s about someone I’ve been talking to for a while, who’s… pretty cool.

 

“Her lips move as though silk

On glass;

Arms rippling

I pour her drink,

It flows into the cup

As she does through the air

Lithe yet tough

Carved from stone and

I, a passing chisel

Hope to make my mark

One day”

 

The crowd claps as Yuki sits in stunned silence. _There’s no way_ … but she can’t help but feel that the poem was about her. _Conceited much? And I shouldn’t – don’t! – care._

 

“So, Yucky, that’s quite the poem Vanessa had for you,” Tenna whispers, and Yuki can’t help but hope for a fleeting moment that she’s right.

 

And then she hopes for a few minutes.

 

And by the end of the night, she’s realized that she not only _wants_ the poem to be about her, but she _needs_ it to be. When it comes time for open mic, she dashes to the front, eager to be the first one in line.

 

She glances around the crowd but can’t find Vanessa, and she just hopes it’s the weird lighting that’s hiding the girl, rather than her having left already.

 

“Hi, I’m Yuki, and I have things to say. First, to the guys who say terrible things – you suck and no woman wants you. Telling me how ‘sexy’ my boobs are is not a turn-on. That is all I have to say to you that my fists can’t.

“And to the girl, who a little bit ago said my arms are rippling and I’m made of stone – I am, um, a lot softer than you might expect, even underneath these spectacular muscles. And, um, maybe one day I can pour your drink?” She looks around, still not seeing the mysterious cute drink mixer, and shrugs, walking backstage amidst a few polite claps.

 

She’s pulled aside by an unfamiliar person, and she’s about to break out the kung-fu when she realizes it’s just Vanessa. She lets out the breath she was holding and smiles.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey,” Vanessa says back, and the two stand in relative silence, behind the stage. It’s fairly muted so even though the next person has the loudspeakers, Yuki and Vanessa are essentially alone.

 

“So… I liked your poem…”

 

“Really? It was kind of short…”

 

“But that’s fine!” Yuki quickly assured her, “It covered all my good parts anyway.”

 

“Well… I’m glad you liked it. I basically wrote it like, right after my shift. That was the harder half-” she covers her mouth with her hand, realizing her mistake.

 

“There’s another half?” Yuki cries, and it’s only thanks to the thick curtain that they aren’t being kicked out for being obnoxious.

 

“Yeah, umm, but it’s not, um…” And Vanessa, usually so articulate, falls silent, merely choosing to cover her face with her hand. Yuki takes the moment to reach for Vanessa’s other hand, gently grasping it in her own. Vanessa glances down, then back at Yuki, and Yuki grins.

 

“I said I was soft.”

 

* * *

 

 

The two skip out on the rest of poetry night, choosing instead to hit up a local coffee shop. Yuki sticks with tea, where Vanessa grabs a mocha, citing an “incurable sweet-tooth.”

 

“So how long have you wanted my body,” Yuki jokes once their drinks are ready. Vanessa nearly chokes on hers, but manages to gulp down the steaming hot drink as she gasps for air.

 

“Ca-can I answer that once my throat’s less sore?” Vanessa wheezes, massaging her neck. Yuki cocks her head and smiles, nodding and saying that would be for the best. The two take a few moments to regroup, then Vanessa speaks.

 

“Ever since the first time I rang up your order,” she replies, smooth as butter.

 

“But – that was like, forever ago!” Yuki cries, nearly spilling her drink. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

 

“Well we never really _talked_ so I just let myself quietly admire you, and to be honest I didn’t even think you’d be into me at all until today, actually.”

 

“To be fair I didn’t know I’d be into you until, like, an hour ago, so I guess that’s fair. I just… you were cool, so I figured why not buy you a drink?”

 

“Yes, that is how dating works,” she jokes, while the realization hits Yuki.

 

“Oh my god you’re right, I accidentally asked you out and it worked.” She sits in silence for a moment before shrugging.

 

“So… this _is_ an actual date? Right?” Vanessa asks, suddenly growing unsure of the night’s events.

 

“…yeah. Yeah, sure.” Yuki smiles, and nudges Vanessa’s hand, slipping her fingers in between Vanessa’s, “this is officially a date, and I just remembered I ditched my friends and they’re my ride home, but that doesn’t matter because you’re way cooler than I ever could have expected.”

 

“I can drive.”

 

“You’re cool and you drive! Nice! Let me just give my buddies a heads-up, and let my mom know I will be late, and then we can do whatever!”

 

“Cool,” Vanessa chuckles, and she sips her drink as she mass-texts her friends the situation. She goes to call her mom, but before she can, the phone rings.

 

“Hey, I was about to call you-”

 

“ _Ryota said you ditched him? I thought you went out for poetry night_.”

 

“I did, but then something came up.”

 

“ _You know I don’t like you lying to me, you need to come home_.”

 

“I’m not twelve, I’m twenty one, and I’m perfectly safe, just at a coffee shop downtown.”

 

“ _With a boy!?_ ”

 

“No mother I am not with a boy,” she smirks, grabbing Vanessa’s hand just a bit tighter and the two share a laugh.

 

“ _Well okay, be home before tomorrow, and use protection_ -”

 

“OhmygodI’mnothavingsextonightjesusmombye!” She snaps the phone shut, much more forcefully than she had that morning, and bangs her head on the table a few times.

 

“At least… your mom cares?”

 

“She could care a lot less,” she mutters sardonically, and Vanessa presses a kiss to Yuki’s forehead, where she’d left a red mark from the previous head banging. Their faces grow red, and Vanessa goes to apologize, but Yuki stops her with a kiss of her own. The two kiss, then separate, though it’s happily, and Yuki can’t believe how great the night has gone.

 


End file.
